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In a wild twist of irony, one of the police officers involved in the arrest of golf's World No. 1 player, Scottie Scheffler, has been arrested himself. Officer Javar Downs of the Louisville Metro Police was taken into custody Friday morning under suspicion of theft. The LMPD is accusing Downs of stealing approximately $4,000 from a suspect Wednesday during a traffic stop on Taylor Blvd., according to Wave3 News.
Downs allegedly found an envelope containing $10,000 during the traffic stop of a man just after midnight. However, the man stated that only $6,000 of that was submitted into evidence.
The Louisville Metro Police Department released the following statement:
“Yesterday, LMPD received a complaint from a citizen alleging theft by an officer. The complainant was arrested on August 21, 2024, by Officer Javar Downs who is assigned to LMPD’s Traffic Unit.”
“LMPD’s Public Integrity Unit (PIU) immediately opened an investigation and early this morning, arrested Officer Javar Downs, charging him with Theft by Unlawful Taking over $1,000 and Official Misconduct. The investigation is ongoing and as such, LMPD is not at liberty to provide additional comment at this time. Chief Humphrey has placed Officers Downs on emergency suspension, limited his police powers, and has begun the process of terminating the employment of Officer Downs from the Louisville Metro Police Department. Allegations of officer malfeasance are taken very seriously. LMPD prioritizes accountability and remains committed to conducting thorough and expedient investigations in the best interests of all parties involved.”
Officer Downs among arresting officers of Scottie Scheffler
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This coming on the heels of one of the strangest incidents involving a professional golfer maybe ever.
During the morning of the second round of this year's PGA Championship at Valhalla in Louisville, Scheffler was arrested and charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, reckless driving, third-degree criminal mischief, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.
Downs, who was one of the arresting officers, reportedly did not turn in his body cam footage of that arrest. That called into question the legitimacy of the arrest, both legally and in the court of public opinion.
Ultimately, all charges against Scheffler were dropped.
All of that occurred while Scheffler continued his assault on history. The Ridgewood, New Jersey native has won six tournaments this year, including the Masters and four other Signature Events. Scheffler went on to win Gold at the Paris Olympics. He is also the favorite to take home the FedEx Cup next week.
